Sage Gateshead Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Sage Gateshead
Construction
The Sage
Sage Gateshead, viewed from the River Tyne
Location	Gateshead Quays, United Kingdom
Coordinates	54°58′04″N 1°36′07″W / 54.9677°N 1.6020°W / 54.9677; -1.6020
Owner	Luke Bickerton (2020-) Laura Blake (2020-)
Type	Concert venue, centre for musical education
Capacity	1,640 (Sage One), 600 (Sage Two)
Opened	17 December 2004
Construction cost	£70 million

The Sage Gateshead is an amazing building in Gateshead, North East England. It's right on the River Tyne! This special place is a concert hall and a school for music. It opened its doors in 2004.

The Sage Gateshead is part of a bigger area called Gateshead Quays. This area also has the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and the famous Gateshead Millennium Bridge. It's a great spot for culture and fun!

How Did Sage Gateshead Start?
What Does the Building Look Like?
- Inside the Sage Gateshead: Performance Spaces
Who Performs at Sage Gateshead?
- Home to Royal Northern Sinfonia
What Do People Think of Sage Gateshead?
Awards and Recognition
Images for kids
See also

How Did Sage Gateshead Start?

Plans for this music center began way back in the early 1990s. The orchestra that plays here, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, wanted a new concert hall. They got help from Northern Arts to start planning.

Soon, a group called Folkworks joined in. They made sure the center would also celebrate traditional music from the region. This meant the Sage Gateshead would host all kinds of music. You can hear Rock, Pop, Dance, Hip Hop, classical, jazz, acoustic, indie, country, and world music here!

Building the Dream: How Much Did It Cost?

Building the Sage Gateshead cost over £70 million. Most of this money came from National Lottery grants. A company called Laing O'Rourke built it.

The Sage Group also gave a lot of money. That's why the building is named after them! They have supported the Sage Gateshead's good work since the very beginning. The venue officially opened on December 17, 2004.

Who Designed This Amazing Building?

The design for Sage Gateshead was chosen after a big competition in 1997. Over 100 architects wanted to design it! In the end, a company called Foster and Partners won.

Their design has won many awards. These include the RIBA Inclusive Design Award and the Civic Trust Award. It was also named The Journal North East Landmark of the Year.

What Events Are Held Here?

Besides concerts, Sage Gateshead is also a popular place for conferences. It has hosted big meetings for political parties. For example, the Labour Party met here in 2005. The Liberal Democrat Party had their conference here in 2012.

It also hosted the National Union of Students' annual conference. This shows how important and useful the building is!

What Does the Building Look Like?

The Sage Gateshead building is very unique. It has a curved shape made of glass and shiny stainless steel. It was designed by Foster and Partners, along with other expert teams.

From the building, you can see amazing views. You can look out at Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides. You can also see the Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

Inside the Sage Gateshead: Performance Spaces

The building has three main performance areas.

The largest, Sage One, can hold 1,700 people.
Sage Two can hold 450 people.
There's also a smaller hall for rehearsals and performances.

These spaces were designed very carefully for sound. The building is actually three separate parts inside. This stops noise and vibrations from traveling between them. You can even see the small gaps if you look closely!

A special "spongy" concrete was used to build it. This concrete has more air in it, which helps the sound. All three parts are covered by the famous glass and steel shell.

Sage One was made to be acoustically perfect. Its ceiling panels can move up and down. Curtains can also be pulled across the walls. This changes how the sound travels, making it perfect for any type of music. Sage Two is a smaller, ten-sided room.

The building is open to everyone during the day. You can walk around and explore!

Who Performs at Sage Gateshead?

Sage Gateshead hosts many famous artists from all over the world. Some of the well-known names who have played here include Blondie, James Brown, Nick Cave, Grace Jones, Elbow, Morrissey, Mumford & Sons, Pet Shop Boys, and Sting.

In 2015, it was one of the places for the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.

Home to Royal Northern Sinfonia

The Sage Gateshead is also the home of the Royal Northern Sinfonia orchestra. Many people say they are one of the best orchestras in Britain! Other orchestras from around the world also come to play here.

The current music director for the Royal Northern Sinfonia is Lars Vogt. In 2014, the orchestra even worked with musician John Grant. They performed together at Sage Gateshead and other places in the UK.

What Do People Think of Sage Gateshead?

People in the local area really like Sage Gateshead. They love the concerts and the music classes for all ages. The center also works with local schools, helping kids learn about music.

The building itself gets different opinions. Many people think it's a beautiful design by Norman Foster. But some people jokingly say it looks like a big slug!